Jupita, Learning To Drown
by Beau Mercury
Summary: It's funny how death can change someone. It can torture them, scar them, twist them into something violent and wild. Just by killing one person, you can murder another. They suffer and struggle until one word controls them. Revenge.
1. Prolouge

So this is my new idea for a story and I hope you like it! If you do like it, please_ **review**_ so I know if I should continue!

Thanks much!

-B+Hg

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><p><em><strong>Prologue <strong>_

Storm clouds growled their warnings as they shadowed the small island of Stars, a once powerful land that had fallen within the past wars. The only remaining village was the Village Hidden in the Galaxies, but even it was torn into ruins. The once proud Sutākage that served with the other 5 Kages now was stripped of that privilege. Vegetation and water was nowhere to be found, the only water being the bitter salt that surrounded the island.

Through the storm, a small puff of smoke billowed up into the cloud bank, coursing through the tunnels of the hollowed out mountain that encased the Land of Stars. The grey ash parted as it bounced off the unique mixture of tan, white, grey, light blue, and orange strands of hair that abandoned their place against a young girl's hip to flutter with the wind. Tucking her stray fringe behind her ear, the girl focused her Jupiter-like eyes onto the disappearing skyline.

Her small body rocked on the thin ledge of the mountain's walls, the stone-face scraping the bottoms of her bare feet. She wore nothing except a small torn cloth that barely covered her chest and a pair of cotton shorts that stopped mid-thigh. A connected 21 the color of dust-fire sat clearly on her wrists, ankles, and under both her eyes. It was proof she was part of the Galaxies village, the one forgotten by the rest of the world.

Hooking her fingers into the nearest crevice, the girl slowly descended back down into the mountain, towards the village. As soon as her feet secured themselves onto the solid ground, two small children latched themselves onto her legs. They were obviously related, their cheerful grey eyes matching perfectly. The youngest one, a three year old named Europa, had shimmering grey and brown hair that was pulled back into a tight braid. The oldest, an eight year old named Io, had golden hair that was streaked with white and black strands tied into a high pony-tail. The girl smiled down at them before prying them off her.

"Ah… Welcome back Jupita… How's the weather going to be?" Jupita glanced up at the two approaching people, both beautiful in different ways, but all pulled together by their grey eyes.

The girl, a recently turned 18 year old named Ganymede, had a combination of dark and light grey hair that whirled around in a curly hurricane. The boy, only a year older than 15 year old Jupita with the name of Callisto, had a wild mixture of brown, dark and light purple, navy, and white hair that stuck out as if he had just woken up. They, along with Io and Europa, wore clothes similar to a jumpsuit, telling Jupita that they had just gotten off from working in the construction zone.

"Thunderstorm… No lighting will get down here, but expect at least… five inches of rain." Jupita murmured in deadpan, letting her eyes drift back towards the sky. She, unlike the other 20 people that lived in the Galaxies, was the only one who didn't work at the construction zone.

Being the only one that would and could climb up the challenging mountain walls, Jupita took the job of weather watcher. The weather watcher was a vital part of the village, constantly watching the sky to observe a potentially dangerous turn of nature. She enjoyed the work greatly; spending hours just lying on a thick piece of slab, watching the entity that defined nature go by, sometimes mindlessly drawing with the old charcoal pencil she carried with her.

"Ah! Thank you Jupita! I'll go tell the Sutākage!" Ganymede cheered happily at the distant girl, her body already turned the way she wanted to go.

Callisto sighed as his eyes followed his sibling. He found it slightly ridiculous that she stilled called the Galaxies leader by his former name. What kind of Kage ruled over a land that only had one village with 21 people that were barely making it through and still considered himself a Kage? Callisto could only guess it was a very foolish one.

Jupita clasped her hands back onto the mountain's wall, letting the first raindrop of the night splash onto her wrist. She nodded goodbye to the three remaining before starting back up the rock face. The closer she got to the summit, the colder the air was. It brushed against her, caressing her body as it clung to the stone. Ignoring the screaming of her bloodied hands, Jupita clutched onto the sharp rock at the top of the mountain, allowing the spikes to be her anchor as she pulled herself onto the ledge. Covering the newest scar with a dusty cloth, she turned to watch the world.

The sun was just setting over the next mountain range, allowing its red and orange hues to reflect off the snow. The Trojans River collided with the Greeks and Hildas as it snaked its way around the mountain's valley. The land had healed itself from the scars given to it during the Great Wars, looking exactly as it did the years before; even the animals had come back. A flock of birds, the type unrecognizable from the height Jupita sat at, rode the breeze towards the west.

Jupita's heart throbbed as she watched them fly to the unknown land. Soon, she would be going with them. The Sutākage had already been informed, he had probably already told Callisto, Ganymede, Io, and Europa what tomorrow would bring. They were probably crying, maybe even trying to follow her up the mountain. The others in the Galaxies would also know soon enough, and, even though Jupita left a two year detailed weather map for them, worry about the future of their village. But she had to do this, staying inside the Land of Stars was no longer an option. She would come back eventually, when she was strong enough to protect the villagers, her family.

Casting one more longing glance down the mountain's gape, Jupita silently said goodbye to the village below. Nothing was visible except the fire that blazed eternally in the center of the town. It was what gave them all hope, the orange flames that tasted the past and licked the future's airs. The fire named Star, ever-lasting and forever proving that they made it through the wars and could make it through much more.

The descent off the south face was easy, the only obstacles being the occasional ice patch. Finally crossing the river that separated the Land of Stars, Jupita took her first steps into the world she never knew. The difference was astonishing. Plants sprouted up from every section of the ground, some taller than others and bearing fruit. Animals roamed freely, not bothering to cast the girl a sparing glance. A winding dirt path cut its way through the vegetation.

A nostalgic feeling crept over Jupita as she let her eyes roam back to her mountain. The opening in the top wasn't visible at all, too many clouds gathered at it. She gazed longingly at her home before the icy rain started to awaken her senses, soaking her clothes to the bone. It was then she turned away, walking slowly towards the only Hidden Village that knew of the Land of Stars still having life deep within it. They had kept it secret that Galaxies was still alive, saving all of them from the wrath of the previous Kazekage.

Jupita's sharp eyes snagged a small glow in the distance before focusing on it. There, a village with great walls around it and the symbol for fire stood. It was a proud looking place, with lights lining the streets and many houses to accommodate the Shinobi and citizens that lived there. As she continued to gaze, her eyes entranced by the mystical unknown, one word materialized in her mind.

_Konoha._

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><p><strong>Author's Corner:<strong>

So did you guys like it? I really hope so!

I got the idea to write this when I was listening to the song Learn to Drown (which, yes, did influence the name) and planning out the mountains I'm climbing this summer! So yes, Jupita is a rock climber like me

Again, please **_review_** **  
><strong>


	2. Chapter 1

Yay, chapter 1! Hope you like it! XD

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><p><em><strong>Chapter 1:<br>**Lodged in the Stones; Part 1_

Sunlight split through Jupita's eyes as the sun rose for the day. It was so much brighter then the light that reached the Galaxies, causing her to wince before refocusing her vision. She currently sat perched on top of her new house; a sturdy, but run-down, little structure. Her eyes studied the Konoha sunrise; taking in every detail of the foreign sight, letting the fact sink in that this was her life now. She had met with the Hokage the previous day, gaining her home and permission to tag along with teams when needed.

A new pair of clothes had also been issued to her, so she could train without the worry of the cloth being torn. Her new clothes; a sleeveless iron mesh undershirt along with a thin black tank-top and shorts that were somewhat baggy, but managed to stay huddled next to her skin, had the Galaxies's emblem patched on the right side, Jupita's connected 21 sitting just under it. Over that, a deep grey, sleeveless zip-up hoodie was worn. The girl had also managed to claim a pair of black gloves with a swirling image of a white galaxy on them. Jupita kept the gloves on her hand, not wanting to separate herself from the last remnant from home she had, the only other two being the charcoal pencil that sat unused on the small desk in her room and the knife she kept with her.

Sliding back into her home, Jupita pulled her hair up into a high ponytail, tucking annoying fringe back into its place. It was her first day of observation, maybe even a little training. The group she would be traveling with contained four people, captain included. The Hokage had told her, and the captain supposedly, to not tell the three others who she was, or why she was there. Advice had been given that she should follow from a distance, keeping herself hidden as much as possible.

Although Jupita understood why it would be best to not reveal who she was, the force behind the urging was a bit unsettling, even to a girl who lived her whole life in hiding. But, never the less, Jupita took it upon herself to come up with an alternate background for herself. It was a simple task, not much to come up with except a name, for she could say she was a traveler. Hopefully, these ninja wouldn't be able to detect her profuse lying. One ninja, as she had been informed, was an ANBU, so she'd have to watch for him.

All and all though, the day welcomed Jupita with open arms. The air brushed warm against her skin and soft white clouds spotted the blue ocean of a sky. The people of the village chatted happily with each other, enjoying life as they had it. Children chased each other, laughing with huge grins on their faces. In front of one house, a white, and quite large, dog slept peacefully against his owner's side. Another home held a blue haired girl, who was joyfully cleaning the walkway. It was such a cheerful place to be, but it sent a stab of white hot pain through Jupita's chest, pulling the one word that scarred her to the surface.

_Happiness…_

Jupita's tongue flickered inside her mouth as she closed her eyes, longing for a taste of the feeling she never had. She calmed herself before looking over to where she would meet her new teammates. A man already stood there, quite young, but looked to be very serious. He wore the standard flak jacket that came with being a Jonin along with a pair of black pants. A strange mask-style forehead protector framed his face, his brown hair sticking out around it. The Konoha Leaf sat proudly in the middle of the metal plate, the light reflecting off causing Jupita to glance at her own.

The forehead protector that sat in her palm was quite different from this man's. The ribbon that held the metal plate was a slick black, making the white whirlpool galaxy that represented her home along with the Konoha Leaf that was carved in the corner to stand out. The Hokage had also given her this, telling her it would cause for greater peace in the future. The Galaxies symbol, of course, was larger than the leaf, but still seemed so small to Jupita.

Turning her attention back to the meeting place, her eyes sparked at the sight of another three at the scene. One, a blonde boy with whiskers decorating his face, grinned widely as he chatted with a pink-haired girl that had a small smile on her face. A boy with oil slick hair followed behind them, his eyes watching them, observing their moves. A slight movement of his lips indicated he said something, presumably rude due to the blonde spinning around and yelling at him. The boy just laughed and walked past him.

Jupita quickly tied her forehead protector around her neck, letting her hair fluff out around it in a billowing set of multi-colored strands, and made her way over to her new teammates. As she approached, the older man, who Jupita placed to be Yamato, nodded at her without openly giving away that she was there. The Hokage must have told him to keep it quiet, as he didn't bother to introduce her to the other three.

Up close, Jupita could see that the blonde boy had a pair of cerulean eyes that matched his wide grin perfectly. That would make him Naruto, the one who the Hokage spoke so fondly about. The girl was obviously Sakura, the one that copied the strength of the Fifth. Jupita would have to watch out for her, seeing as something was a bit off about her. The last would have to be Sai, the ANBU she had to beware. Letters from the Sutākage stated the one who ran this boy's operation had locked in a sabotage of Galaxies a while back. A sworn enemy from the start, this child was going to end up troubling Jupita.

She edged closer to the group, her ears just barely able to make out the conversation.

"The mission today is going to be located in the Land of Earth, starting in the Hidden Stone Village and ending back here in Konoha. We will be escorting the Tsuchikage's granddaughter, so this A-Rank mission calls for no mistakes. It will take us about three days to get there… Is everyone ready?"

"Yosh! Let's go!" Sakura's emerald eyes danced as Naruto's voice boomed, his fist rising in the air, showing his excitement.

"Right." With that, Yamato lead the younger Shinobi out of the village.

Jupita trailed behind them, close enough for her to make out what was said by the captain, but far enough away that a small sound from her wouldn't disturb her silence. They talked about many topics; other friends, food, planning to train, new techniques. It was a nice conversation, filled with joyful emotions, causing Jupita to smile slightly as she treaded on behind them.

Her smile quickly vanished as black flashed in her peripheral. Flickering her eyes to the trees around them, she caught trail of a slight fall of leaves. A barely noticeable, but definitely there, footprint ruined the smooth soil of the rest of the forest floor. Someone was tailing them.

Jupita slowed her pace, getting farther and farther behind the others. This caused the ones in the woods to slow too, knowing if they passed her that they would most likely be spotted. She continued to fall back until Team Kakashi was no longer in sight. The girl took in a deep breath and gripping the ivory Aikuchi that she carried, hidden in the small knife holder that wrapped under her hoodie.

The Aikuchi that Jupita used was a treasured thing to her, carved from the ivory of a tusk she found. The handle was made of thick mercury, making Jupita the only one who could hold it. If anyone else tried to use her weapon, their body temperature would cause the handle to melt. The only factor allowing Jupita hold it being the fact that her body heat was 45° below 0, an interesting mutation within in her that anyone else would die from.

She pushed her trust into the blade, knowing it would get her through this potential fight. Taking one more breath, Jupita stopped short. She could hear the ones behind her stop abruptly, a whispering curse escaping one of their mouths.

"…Come out."

"Heh, so one _did_ spot us."

Jupita looked back to see two men now standing on the road. They were ninjas from the Hidden Rain, a village specializing in Genjutsu and assassination skills. This fight would not go Jupita's way if she made even one mistake.

One, a handsome boy that looked to be around Jupita's age, was already trying to get her attention on his smirking brown eyes. The other, this one a young man, was twirling a Kyogetsu-Shoge around by its rope, letting the hook knife swing freely. He was the one that spoke for the pair.

"Don't worry, when you die you can escort the Tsuchikage's granddaughter to hell."

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><p><strong>Author's Corner:<strong>

So I hoped you all like the first chapter! And I hope you **r****_eview!_  
><strong>If you guys have any suggestions for the Tsuchikage's granddaughter's name, please feel free to tell!

Again, please **_review!_**

(^o^)/  
>-B+Hg<p> 


	3. Notice

Dear Readers~

I'm sorry I have been lacking in updating, but I've been writing my own stories (which you can find here (slash)u/768834/Beau_Mercury )

But I plan to update this soon! Real soon! I promise.

But in the meantime, please check out my original stories!

Thanks for dealing with my laziness...

Beau


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